Bandage assembly



1942- .1. A. GREENWOLL 2,292,995

BANDAGE ASSEMBLY Fild Oct. 25, 1940 Patented Aug. 11, 1942 BANDAGE ASSEMBLY John A. Greenwoll, Chicago, 111,, assignor to The Scholl Mfg. 00., Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of New York Application October 25, 1940, Serial No. 362,716

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a bandage assembly of the general. character commonly placed in a suitable folder or other form of container for sale, the invention being highly desirable for use in connection with strip type adhesive bandages, although the invention will have other uses and purposes, as will be apparent to one ski11ed in the art. i

In the past, strip type adhesive bandages have frequently been furnished in an assembly wherein the bandages are disposed side by side and the temporary crinoline protection covering the adhesive surface of the bandages extends beyond the ends of the individual bandages. While the individual bandages were entirely separated by virtue of a slit. extending. from end to end between the adjacent bandages, the crinoline backing Wasnot slit in that portion beyond the ends of the bandages, so that the aligned bandages were held together in a somewhat .continuous manner bythe unslitted marginal portions of the crinoline backing. When. it was desired to remove a single bandage for use, the unslitted margins of the crinoline backing were torn apart by the user. a This was objectionable, not only becausefrcquently it was quite difficult to tear the marginal crinoline with the fingers, but also because the crinoline tended to fray or unravel, leaving broken crinoline threads. adhering to the adhesive surfaceof the bandage removed and alsoleavingan unsightly assembly, with frayed portions or.broken strands of crinoline sticking out haphazardly from the assembly. An added aggravation in the use of. a bandage removed from such an assembly was the tedious operation of removing individual broken strands of crinoline from the adhesive surface of a removed bandage.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a bandage assembly wherein a number ofentirely separated bandagesare held in alignment to form a substantially continuous-assembly, with the aid of means easily adjustable to permit the ready removal of an individual bandage from the assembly, and which means do not tend to fray, unravel, or leave any unsightly broken threads. ex-

posed, or adhered to theadhesive surface of the bandage being removed.

Another-object of this invention is the provision of. a bandage-assembly in which a-portion of the adhesive on each bandageis relied upon to maintain a number of the bandages in temporary assembled alignment, pending individual separation of the bandages for use. i

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of a bandage assembly embodying a number of adhesive bandages disposed side by side, each bandage having a protective backing, and each bandage, with its protective backing, being entirely separate from adjacent bandages, the protective backing being of such size as to leave a margin of adhesive exposed on each bandage, andv means attached to the aligned exposed adhesive margins to maintain the bandages in assembled relation.

It is also an object of this invention to provide abandage assembly wherein a number of entirely separate bandages are disposed side by side and maintained temporarily in assembled relation by an elongated flexible member extending across a portion of all of the bandages, it being a simple operation to loosen a sufficient portion of the flexible member to permit removal of the individual bandages one at a time.

While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantages of the present invention have. been above pointed out, others will become apparent from the following disclosures,

taken in conjunction with the accompanying Figure 3. is an, enlarged vertical sectional view through the bandage assembly, taken substantially as indicated by line IIII II.of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan View of a bandage. assembly of slightly different construction embodyin principles of the present invention and made in accordance with the method embodied in the present invention; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary bottom planview of still another form of bandage assembly embodying boththe principles and method of the present invention. 1 l

As shown on the drawing: 1

While in the illustratedembodiment of the present invention, finger type bandages of. the strip type commonly used around a finger .or toe are illustrated, it will be appreciated that. such bandages are illustrated by way of example only,

and-the features andmethod embodied in the present invention may equally as Well be used with bandages of other types.

In the first illustrated embodiment of this insired. The cover member may also be provided with one or more slots I4 over the pad I3, if so desired, to permit greater flexibility of the bandage when applied over a finger or toe joint, as well as to permit ready penetration of air to the afllicted region. A protective backing of starched crinoline, or equivalent material, is used over the major portion of the adhesive surface and the pad I3. In this instance, the protective backing consists of two pieces, I5 and I6, the piece I5 being secured to the adhesive on one side of the pad I3 and overlying the pad, and

the piece I6 being secured to the adhesive surface on the other side of the pad I3 and overlying the end portion of the piece I5. It will also be noted that each bandage, including its crinoline backing pieces I5 and I6, is entirely individual, that is, it is completely severed from the adjacent'bandage on either side thereof.

With reference more particularly to Figure 2, it will be seen that the crinoline backing members I5 and I6 are so positioned and so sized as to leave exposed small margins I1 and I8, respectively, of the adhesive surface of the cover member II at the ends of each bandage. Of course, with the bandages in alignment side by side, the exposed marginal portions I'I form, in effect, a continuous strip of adhesive, as do the exposed marginal portions I8. In order to maintain the bandages in their aligned order so as to provide a temporary substantially integral assembly and permit the bandages to be handled as though. all of them were one piece of material, an elongated flexible member I9 is laid along the exposed marginal portions IT and adhered to the adhesive margins. Likewise, an elongated strip of material 20 may be laid along the exposed marginal portions I8. These strips may be of starched crinoline, or of the same material as the protective backing pieces I5 and I6, if these pieces are of some other material.

The ribbon-like members I9 and 20 effectively hold all of the pads in one complete assembly. When it is desired to remove a bandage for use, it is a simple expedient to raise the strips I9 and 20 from the adhesive margins I! and N3 of the bandage, as indicated in the left-hand portion of Figure and the bandage is separated and remains free and clean. There are no frayed edges of crinoline, no tearing, and removal of the bandage is simply and easily accomplished. After the removal of the bandage it is a simple expedient to pull 01f the protective bacln'ng pieces I5 and I6, as suggested by the showing in the right-hand portion of Figure 2, and the bandage is immediately ready for use by the patient.

The present invention also embodies a new and novel method of making a bandage assembly which will now be explained. Preferably, a relatively large strip of adhesive backing, of a size sufficient for all of the bandages or a greater number of them, is provided and numerous sets of the apertures I 4 are punched at proper intervals in the adhesive sheet. After this, an

elongated pad of folded gauze of sufficient length to include all of the pads I3 may be laid across the adhesive sheet, or if it is desired to have these pads folded in a special manner, they may be applied individually over each set of apertures. Then, a piece of protective backing, of a size to properly cover the desired portion of all of the pads, may be so positioned as to leave exposed the outer margin of adhesive on the sheet. Next, the other and outer piece of protective backing may be laid on the other side of the adhesive sheet and likewise a margin of adhesive left exposed. Then the entire structure may be severed completely therethrough at a number of points to provide individually separate bandages of the character above described. These bandages, of course, will remain lying in side to side relationship after the severance, and it is a simple expedient to lay the holding strips I9 and 20 in position on series of exposed adhesive margins I1 and I8, respectively. If a greater number of bandages than desired in the single assembl are covered by the holding strips I9 and 29, it is a simple expedient to cut through the holding strips or ribbons at desired intervals and thus provide assemblies of the desired quantity.

In Figure 4.- I have illustrated a modification of the present invention in which the same identical bandages are illustrated. In this instance, however, a pair of threads or cords 2| and 22 are laid along the exposed series of adhesive margins I1 and I8, respectively, and act as holding means to unite the bandages temporarily in a single assembly pending removal of individual bandages for use. It is a simple expedient to pull the cords 2| and 22 off of the exposed adhesive margins of a single bandage, in the manner illustrated in Figure 2 in connection with the strips or ribbons I9 and 20, and thus remove a bandage quickly, cleanly and easily. Of course, the structure of Figure 4 may be made by practicing the same method as above explained in connection with Figures 1, 2 and 3;

In Figure 5, I have illustrated still a further assembly. showing identically the same bandages as a matter of convenience. In this instance, however, the exposed adhesive marginal portions are covered by a strip or ribbon 23 which may be of paper, preferably transparent paper, or formed of regenerated cellulose. Such strips may be removed to separate individual bandages progressively, as above explained. Likewise, the assembly of Figure 5 may be made by the practice of the above-described method.

From the foregoing, it wil be apparent that I have provided a bandage assembly which is Simple and highly convenient to handle and which provides, very easily and quickly, a clean individual bandage for use, leaving no unsightly frayed ends or broken threads adhering to the bandage to inconvenience the user. It will further be apparent that I have also provided a new and novel method of making a bandage assembly. In addition, it is clear that both my novel bandage assembly and my novel method of making the assembly are quite economical and eificient It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles 'of this invention, and it is, therefore, not the pur-.

pose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A bandage assembly including a plurality of separated narrow bandages which are relatively long, with each bandage comprising a cover strip having an adhesived face and a pad seated on said face, and a pair of longitudinally extending and inwardly directed protective strips adhesively secured to said face and disposed overlying said pad and said face in protecting relation thereto, said protective strips each having an end disposed inwardly of an adjacent end of saidcover strip to leave an exposed adhesived surface of said cover strip extending beyond the adjacent ends of said protective strips, means to removably retain said bandages in assembled relation, said means comprising an elongated member extending transversely of said bandages and secured at the exposed adhesived ends of said cover strips by the adhesive of said cover. strips.

2. A bandage assembly formed of a plurality of separated narrow bandages which are relatively long, with each bandage comprising a cover strip having an adhesived face and a pad seated on said face, backing strip means overlying said pad and said face in protecting relation thereto and adhesively secured to said face, said backing strip means being disposed on said cover strip to leave exposed opposite end portions of the adhesived surface of said cover strip, means to removably retain the marginal portions of said bandages in assembled relation, said means comprising a pair of narrow strips of flexible material arranged extending transversely of said cover strips and secured thereto at the exposed adhesived end portions of said cover strips by the adhesive of said cover strips and covering said adhesived portions.

3. In a bandage assembly formed of a plurality of separated narrow and elongated bandages, with each bandage comprising a cover strip having an adhesived face, a pad seated on said face, and backing strip means overlying said bandage and said face and disposed on said cover strip to leave exposed opposite end portions of the adhesived face of said cover strip, means removably retaining said plurality of bandages in assembled relation, said means comprising a pair of elongated members, one for each of the opposite ends, and disposed extending transversely of said plurality of bandages and secured at the exposed adhesived ends of said cover strips by the adhesive of said cover strips.

JOHN A. GREENWOLL. 

